Major depressive disorder is a common medical condition that can be disabling and can persist for months, even years. Many people experience depression symptoms that resist treatment. Although they try various combinations of medications, psychotherapy, or electroconvulsive therapy, their symptoms don't improve. What can people who have treatment-resistant depression do to overcome their depression and feel better? In Still Down, Dr. Dean F. MacKinnon, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins Medical School, presents nine composite stories drawn from patients he has seen in his twenty years as an expert in treatment-resistant mood disorders. The first section of the book features people diagnosed with depression who have not yet received appropriate treatment. The next section looks at misdiagnosis, focusing on people who feel and appear depressed but who have different mood disorders and need treatment for them. Finally, Dr. MacKinnon describes people who have severe depression that does not respond to any treatment, regardless of how finely tuned the treatment might be. These people, who suffer from true treatment-resistant depression (TRD), can benefit from a variety of treatments to feel better. Dr. MacKinnon provides commentary to explain and extend the discussion of the patients and situations in each case. He also discusses common obstacles to improvement, including overly conservative dosing, problems stemming from not adhering to treatment, antidepressant failure, and high sensitivity to side effects. By identifying aspects of the individual's qualities, behaviors, and experiences that may account for poor response to treatment, Still Down points the way for people with TRD and their families to find appropriate diagnoses and the best possible care.

An interesting patient-oriented guide to understanding chronic depression and the range of potentially effective treatment options. -- Bradley Gaynes, MD, MPH, University of North Carolina Hospitals at Chapel Hill

About the Author
Dean F. MacKinnon, MD, is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he specializes in treatment-resistant mood disorders. He is the author of Trouble in Mind: An Unorthodox Introduction to Psychiatry.

Reviews
... Patients, psychiatry residents, and physicians will find this a helpful guide to reconsidering clinical options when standard treatments don't work. Library Journal In a concise, clearly written and exceptionally helpful book, [MacKinnon] provides insights and advice on what to do if [antidepressant] medications don't work initially... Brief summaries, case notes, and excellent appendices make this a useful book for practitioners and patients alike. Simply stated, this book is a gem. It's a very understandable guide to a very complex and frustrating issue. Clinical Psychiatry News



Book Information
ISBN 9781421421063
Author Dean F. MacKinnon
Format Paperback
Page Count 152
Imprint Johns Hopkins University Press
Publisher Johns Hopkins University Press
Weight(grams) 181g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 140mm * 10mm